5 Best Educational YouTube Channels for Preschoolers + SoundBot SB272 Wireless Headset Review

In general, I try to limit my kids' screen time as much as possible. However, educational videos in moderation can be helpful learning tools. Instead of turning the television on and letting my kids watch whatever cartoon is on, I like to choose specific YouTube videos that I know will enhance their learning. Here are my top 5 picks for the best educational YouTube channels for preschoolers and toddlers. I also had the opportunity to review an awesome wireless headset - SoundBot for kids SB272.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

These 5 educational YouTube channels are my go-to picks for when my kids are asking to watch cartoons or when I need to keep them busy for a little while.

1. ABCkidTV - Alphabet, phonics, numbers, shapes, colors, classic children's songs and rhymes.

2. Super Simple Songs -  classic nursery rhymes, original songs, alphabet and phonics songs.

3. KidsTV123 - Alphabet, phonics, numbers, colors, seasonal and holiday songs.

4. Have Fun Teaching - Science videos: seasons, planets, weather, life cycles. Alphabet, numbers, sight words, fitness videos.

5. Busy Beavers - Cute, colorful 3D videos with shapes, colors, alphabet, phonics.

I had the opportunity to review the SoundBot for Kids SB272 wireless headset, which was perfect timing since my daughter's old headset (not wireless) was destroyed by the cat. Wires + cats is a bad combination. Full disclosure: I received the SoundBot at a discounted price in exchange for an honest review.

My daughter loves this headset. It is very lightweight and comfortable for her to wear, and she loves the pink color. (It comes in pink, blue or gray) It was super easy for me to sync the bluetooth to my device. It also features a built-in volume control which doesn't exceed 85 decibels, so it's safe for little ears.

The SoundBot headset also includes a microphone, which we haven't tested yet, but will definitely come in handy when my daughter wants to make hands-free phone calls to grandma.

Overall, I am very pleased with the SoundBot SB272 headset and would recommend it to anyone looking for an inexpensive, wireless kid's headset with a modern design and amazing sound quality.

See the affiliate link below to purchase!

KidCasa KC601 Cardboard Playhouse Review

The holiday season is here and I know everyone is looking for the best gifts to buy for their kids. I recently had the opportunity to review the KidCasa KC601 cardboard playhouse (it's actually 2 playhouses), by the same genius makers of Picasso Tiles! (get my Free Magnetic Tile Printables that go with Picasso Tiles).

Full disclosure: I received this awesome product at a discount in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links included for your convenience.

First, let's go over what's included in the box:

-2 cardboard playhouses (1 HUGE Candy House & 1 Christmas House)

-cardboard accessories: fence, tree, horse, rabbit

-8 chunky color markers

When I say the Candy House is huge, I mean it's HUGE. My 4 and 2 year old kids fit inside with easily enough room for 2 more kids. The Christmas house is a bit smaller, good for about 2 kids.

It took two adults to build the houses, but it was fairly quick and intuitive. After about 15 minutes both houses were built. Once you attach the roofs, the houses became surprisingly very sturdy. Even rough children (like mine) can play easily without destroying anything.

Using the markers that came with the set, the girls quickly got to work!

The markers were great for the smaller pictures and details, and then I gave them some paint for the larger areas.

After the girls colored and painted for a solid hour, they took a break and they were excited to come back and just play in the houses for the rest of the day.

The Candy House has scenes depicting the story of Hansel & Gretel. The Christmas house has images of Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, a Christmas tree, and some adorable animals. 

We didn't get a chance to add the fence and farm animals yet, so that will be another project for a different day. I can see this becoming an ongoing art project where the kids keep adding more color and details for weeks to come.

Overall, this KidCasa playhouse set really impressed me. It's hard these days to find screen-free activities that really engage my kids for a long time. I also love that it's an activity and toy at the same time, so there are many levels of interaction.

Plus, if your kids like to draw and color on walls or random objects, this will satisfy their craving in a productive way.

For more details about the KidCasa playhouse set, and to purchase, see the following affiliate link:

For more educational gift ideas, see my Educational Gift Guide for Preschoolers:

Silly McGilly: St. Patrick's Day Toy & Book Review + Giveaway!

I am thrilled to share my review of Silly McGilly, a wonderful St. Patrick's Day tradition. This is an adorable book and toy set, featuring Silly, a funny leprechaun who likes to play "tricks" during the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day. Silly is fun and educational for the home or classroom!

The makers of Silly McGilly were kind enough to offer a FREE set to one "lucky" family. Enter the Giveaway at the bottom of this post for your chance to win.

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary set as well as compensation for my time and effort to review this product. All opinions are my own and I was in no way required to write a positive review.

I have two daughters - a 4 year old and a 2 1/2 year old, and they both instantly loved Silly as soon as we opened up the box. Both the 8" toy and the 8.5" x 8.5" book are made of high quality materials. If you choose the keepsake box option, it comes in a very sturdy and colorful box with 2 compartments, so everything can be easily packed away for next year's St. Patrick's day, or it can be given as a gift.

After opening the box, I immediately read the book to my eager daughters. The beautifully illustrated book tells Silly's story about what leprechauns are, where they come from, and how they like to play tricks during the St. Patrick's Day season. Silly McGilly enjoys going to children's homes and playing tricks while they are sleeping. All you have to do is place the Silly McGilly toy next to a window at night and that is the invitation for the "real" Silly to come visit the family's house. When you wake up, see what tricks he was up to!

In our house, Silly did a combination of tricks as well as educational activities. My kids were completely amazed when he turned the toilet water green, or when he turned all the family photos upside down. They also thoroughly enjoyed it when he left activities for them to do. (Tip: Silly McGilly's website has many printable activities such as coloring pages, treasure hunt, rhymes, mad libs and more!)

The tricks and activities you can do are endless, but there are tons of ideas in the Silly McGilly book and the Silly McGilly website that can be done with kids at home or in the classroom.

Ideas for Tricks:

-turn toilet water green

-turn breakfast foods green

-hang all the pictures on the wall upside down

-switch shoelaces with green ones

-tape Silly's own picture over a family photo

-switch around all the children's name tags

-leave chocolate coins in shoes

-leave green goodies in lunchbox

Ideas for Activities:

-leave coloring pages of Silly McGilly with only green crayons or markers to color

-treasure hunt with clues leading up to a treat of chocolate coins

-scavenger hunt with a list of items that Silly hid around the house

-leave behind materials for a St. Patrick's Day craft

-leave shamrock cut-outs to be used for learning games

-leave a St. Patrick's Day puzzle to be solved

Silly McGilly can be purchased at http://www.sillymcgilly.com/. 

For a chance to win a FREE set, enter the giveaway below. A random "lucky" winner will be selected, and they will get their set just in time for the St. Patrick's Day season. (Please note: the giveaway is only open to U.S. residents)

Silly McGilly

Fiddle & Doodle Dot Marker Review + Giveaway!

My kids are crazy about dot markers and use them on an almost daily basis. As a mom, I love them because they're a great motivational tool for learning. Imagine our excitement when we had the wonderful opportunity to try out a new brand of dot markers & activity sheets by the company Fiddle & Doodle.

Fiddle & Doodle was kind enough to offer a FREE set of dot markers + activity pad to one lucky reader. Enter the Giveaway at the bottom of this post for your chance to win.

Disclosure: I was given a complimentary set as well as compensation for my time and effort to review this product. All opinions are my own and I was in no way required to write a positive review. Affiliate links are included for your convenience.

When our Fiddle & Doodle dot markers came in the mail, it was apparent what sets them apart from other dot markers. It came with an amazing pad of learning activities, featuring the letters of the alphabet, numbers, counting and coloring. Normally you have to either purchase these separately, or go online and search through blogs for resources to print out. With Fiddle & Doodle, everything that we needed was included and my kids got started right away. They were so excited to look through the activity pad and picked out the sheets they wanted to start with.  

My daughters, now 3 and 5, were instantly attracted to the markers' bright and modern design. The adorable polka dots, round caps and 8 very unique colors made these markers an instant hit.

With my 3 year old it was a great opportunity to practice letters and numbers. My 5 year old was mesmerized by all the cute pictures she could color and be creative with. We also reviewed letter sounds with each picture that she colored.

Watching my daughters "working", I was very impressed by the quality of the colors. They seemed much brighter and more vibrant than other dot markers we have used in the past. 

I was also pleasantly surprised by the variety of activities in the pack. There are over 30 pages including all the letters of the alphabet, numbers 0-20, counting, and several fun coloring pages such as a rainbow, balloons and emojis.

Both of my girls were occupied for a long time and yet they still had plenty of pages left over for next time. When they do run out of activities I can head over to the Fiddle & Doodle website and print out free activity sheets. (including a Pokemon counting pack!)

Fiddle & Doodle Dot Markers can be purchased HERE. They are currently ON SALE until Sept 18th for 10% Off 1 set or 15% Off 2 sets. Use the Promo Code: FIDOSALE

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Giveaway

(Open to U.S. residents only)

For a chance to win a FREE set, enter the giveaway below. You must be 18+ years old to enter. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Random winner will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

Fiddle & Doodle Dot Markers + Activity Pad

Jump-Start Your Child's Learning with ABCmouse.com

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Most of us have heard of the online learning program ABCmouse.com, probably from commercials on children's TV networks. It looks so appealing that, after a few times watching the commercials, my kids were begging me to sign up! Luckily, they have a FREE 30-day trial and I decided to give it a try with my 3 & 5 year old daughters.

Before starting, I went ahead and bought this children's computer mouse that is smaller and has only 1 button. I recommend this for young kids who have never used a mouse before.

Here are the main things that I love about ABCmouse.com:

• Both of my kids can use the program and both can be challenged. Each child creates their own avatar (which is a fun activity in itself) and their progress is stored separately.

• The program has "learning paths", so you can use it as a preschool or kindergarten curriculum. However, if you want a more casual approach you can choose to just play the learning games or do the other fun activities separately.

• There are a wide variety of activities, which will appeal to kids who have specific interests. My 3 year old is very much into art, so she loved the huge variety of coloring pages. (all of them education ones with letters, numbers, dot-to-dot, color by number, etc.) My 5 year old was more into the games and there are tons to choose from!

Here are the main things that MY KIDS love about ABCmouse.com:

• The pets. Each child gets a hamster and a fish that they can feed and take care of. They can also buy other pets or pet items with tickets they earn (see below).

• You get tickets after completing every activity and you can use these to buy things like pets, toys, clothes, furniture for your room and a lot of other things. Very motivational!

• It's fun! They do a really good job of making it fun and irresistible for kids while packing in a lot of learning.

You can try it for yourself, FREE for 30-days and then cancel at any time. Sign up HERE for the trial!

Already did the trial? You'll be happy to know that ABCmouse.com offers 68% OFF for 2 months, making it only $5. Sign up HERE for the 2 month discount!

Free Preschool Assessment Form + Mother Goose Time Preschool Curriculum Review

This post is sponsored by Mother Goose Time Preschool Curriculum. All opinions are my own.

A preschool assessment form can be a great way to record a child's progress and skills that they've learned throughout the school year. This free printable form is perfect for preschool teachers and parents to use at the beginning and/or end of the year.

Looking for a preschool curriculum? Keep reading to see my experience doing one month of Mother Goose Time Preschool Curriculum with my 4 year old daughter.

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Download your Preschool Assessment Form at the bottom of this post!

To use the assessment form, I do not recommend "testing" children but merely observing their skills through various activities. Then, circle the items on the form that the child knows. (This is not a worksheet for children but rather a recording sheet for teachers and parents.)

A note to parents: This form is meant to measure and document what a child knows and to track their progress if you do the assessment at different times of the year. Many children do not master all these skills before entering kindergarten and that is OK.

Authentic Assessment

Speaking of assessment, Mother Goose Time has an amazing "authentic assessment" system as part of their curriculum in which you observe and document a child's progress during their everyday activities. Find out more about their assessment system here or watch the video below:

Mother Goose Time Preschool Curriculum

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From the moment that the adorable school bus box arrived at our doorstep, my 4 year old daughter could not get enough!

Upon opening the box, I was shocked by the amount of resources that are included. Everything is individually wrapped and organized. You get a teacher tool bag, a circle time tool bag, and 20 "discovery" bags (one for each weekday of the month) which include all the daily activities and materials in the exact quantity that you will need. I quickly realized that they think of everything for you, and deliver it in a convenient box every month. Teaching has never been this easy!

Teacher Guide

This is where you really see how everything has been planned and thought out for you. The Teacher Guide booklet includes all the details of the daily activities, lessons, art projects, story time, play time, discussions and prompts. You can follow the lesson plan exactly as is or you can take away/add your own activities. They make it very easy to individualize the curriculum for different ages and skill levels by offering suggestions on how to simplify or add challenge to each lesson.

Themed Learning

Every month there is a different theme, which really makes the curriculum interesting and fun for kids.  Our theme for the month was Me & My Family and some of the things we explored were body parts, feelings, family members, animals, pets, and so much more! We also had letters, numbers, shape and color of the month. Find out more about their monthly themes here.

Circle Time Display 

I also received everything needed to set up the Circle Time Display for the month, including a calendar, monthly labels, weather pieces, letters, number fish - even a world map! The best part is that my daughter loved the colorful and adorable graphics, which really kept her engaged and motivated every day.

Daily Lessons & Activities

I was very impressed by the variety of activities and the quality of all the materials. I also love that everything is hands-on and encourages development of the whole child. Every day children work on many different skills, including social/emotional development, physical skills, critical thinking as well as language and math skills. Find out more about their research-based approach here.

Extras 

There are so many fun extras included every month, like a music CD (my daughter's favorite), story time book, manipulatives, student portfolio pages, assessment system and more! I really couldn't believe how much you get and how creative and comprehensive everything is.

Ordering

Ordering the Mother Goose Time curriculum is super easy. Simply select the number of children in your program and the length of your subscription. A box will be conveniently delivered to you every month with everything you need, all lesson plans created and all materials included.

No more spending hours creating lessons, shopping for materials, prepping materials and so on. Everything is done for you and delivered at your doorstep.

I highly recommend this curriculum for child care centers, homeschoolers and parents who are looking for a hands-on, play based, whole-child approach to preschool learning.

Click Here for More Info & To Order Mother Goose Time

Click Here to Download your Free Preschool Assessment Form from Totschooling

Alphabet Mazes Worksheets + Match and Learn Alphabet Puzzles Review

This post is sponsored by Fiddle & Doodle. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links are included for your convenience.

Learning the alphabet through fun activities and games is a must for preschoolers. These free printable Alphabet Mazes worksheets are the perfect way to practice letters, letter sounds and fine motor skills. Another fun way to learn the alphabet is with the new Fiddle & Doodle Match and Learn Puzzles!

Download your Free Alphabet Mazes at the bottom of this post!

This set of Alphabet Worksheets includes 26 pages, each featuring a maze that is an image of an animal or object matching the letter sound. At the bottom of each page there are uppercase and lowercase letters to trace. Great for fine motor skills, letter recognition and letter sounds!

To make the worksheets re-usable, laminate the sheets or place in page protectors, then give your child dry-erase markers to trace.

Fiddle & Doodle Match and Learn Puzzles

Our first experience with the company Fiddle & Doodle was reviewing their fantastic dot markers. My kids loved the dot markers so much that I was sure they would enjoy these alphabet puzzles. They are especially perfect for my 4 year old preschooler!

The Match and Learn puzzle set includes 26 puzzles (plus 6 bonus puzzles) each consisting of 3 pieces - an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter and a cute picture that corresponds with the letter sound. Since each puzzle is a different color, they are self-correcting so your child will know when they've matched it up correctly. I love this feature because my daughter is able to do all the puzzles with very little help. Perfect for keeping her busy and learning!

Make Your Own Puzzles

Our favorite thing about the Match and Learn puzzles is their brilliant bonus activity that really puts the icing on the cake! There are 6 sets of blank puzzles included, plus stickers for kids to make their own puzzles.

My daughter had a blast with this! She used the stickers to create a puzzle for herself and some of her family members, and her cat. This is such a great learning activity because it made her think about the letter sound that each person's name started with and then she searched for the uppercase and lowercase letter stickers to use. 

We loved this hands-on way to learn the alphabet and highly recommend it for preschoolers!

Click Here To Purchase Match and Learn Puzzles

Click Here to Download your FREE Alphabet Mazes Worksheets

School Bus Addition Mats + Zap Zap Kindergarten Math Review

This post is sponsored by Zap Zap Math. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links included for your convenience.

Practice math skills in a hands-on way with these fun, school bus themed addition mats. Kids who are familiar with ten frames will be able to solve addition equations using counters to help them visualize the numbers. Another great way for kindergarten kids to learn math is with the new Zap Zap Kindergarten Math app! Keep reading for our review.

Download your FREE School Bus Addition Mats at the bottom of this post!

This activity includes 2 addition mats, one with ten frames for sums up to 10, and one with 20 frames for sums up to 20. The 10-frame mat is best for kids just starting to add numbers.

Supplies Needed:

• Printer
• Counters (counting chips, math cubes, pom poms, etc.)
• Laminator
• Dry-erase markers

Instructions:

There are many ways to use these mats. Teachers/parents can give the child a set of addition problems to solve, or you can leave it up to the child to use the mat in a more open-ended way and make their own equations. 

I recommend using 2 different colored counters (one for each quantity being added) and 3 different colored dry-erase markers (one for each number being added and another color for the sum) Make sure the colors on the equation match the counters. This will provide a visual diagram for the child and help them understand the concept of addition.

Instead of using counters, kids can also use dry-erase markers to draw circles in the frames.

Zap Zap Kindergarten Math App

I had the wonderful opportunity to try out a brand new mobile app, Zap Zap Kindergarten Math, with my 5 1/2 year old daughter who just finished kindergarten. I wasn't sure how she was going to like it because she is very picky with games and often loses interest if they are too educational. It turns out she loves it and has asked to play the app every day since we downloaded it! I gladly let her, because this app is a great summer review tool for the math skills she's acquired in kindergarten, but it is also challenging enough that I know she's learning and building upon the concepts she knows. Watch the video below for an introduction!

What's Great About Zap Zap Kindergarten Math App

• Adorable graphics with a cool space theme that will keep kids engaged. (Girls will love it too!)
• Aligned with the Common Core Standards for Kindergarten Math
• No ads or third-party content
• Parents/teachers can track child's progress for each game level and skill.
• Unique adaptive feature that adjusts the difficulty level of each game depending on the player's abilities.

Skills Practiced in Zap Zap Kindergarten Math App

• Number sense & number recognition
• Reading number words
• Counting to 100 by 1's and 10's
• Counting forward and backwards
• Comparing numbers: greater than, less than, equal to
• Identify and sort shapes, both 2D and 3D
• Comparing objects by height, weight, length, etc.
• Measurement
• Addition and subtraction
• Number bonds
• and more!

My Recommendation to Parents & Teachers

Start out by exploring the app together with your child/student and making sure they understand the basic navigation. Children can play the app independently for the most part. My daughter asked me for help in understanding some of the game instructions and a few of the touch-screen requirements. However, they do a great job of including visual, verbal and written instructions for every level, so children will catch on quickly.

The Zap Zap Kindergarten Math app would be a fantastic addition to your kindergarten math curriculum, in a math center, or at home as a fun and playful supplement to your child's learning. It is also perfect for summer learning, with its portable nature making it great for traveling.

Download Zap Zap Kindergarten Math from the iTunes App Store (iOS) or from Google Play Store (Android)

Click Here to Download your Free School Bus Addition Mats